Lionel Messi faced a mixed reception from Paris Saint-Germain supporters during his last match for the club, as they were defeated 3-2 by Clermont in their home stadium in Ligue 1 on Saturday. PSG had officially confirmed Messi’s departure from the team after two seasons in a statement released just before the game.
Nasser al-Khelaifi, the president of PSG, acknowledged Messi’s significant contributions to both the club and Ligue 1, stating, “His contribution to Paris Saint-Germain and Ligue 1 cannot be underestimated, and we wish Leo and his family all the best for the future.”
However, some fans expressed their disapproval of Messi by jeering when his name was announced along with the team line-up at Parc des Princes. Throughout the match, the Argentinian World Cup winner faced sporadic whistles from the crowd.
The outcome of the game held little significance, as PSG had already secured their 11th French title the previous weekend. Despite this, Christophe Galtier’s team squandered a two-goal lead, resulting in a disappointing defeat.
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In his final appearance for PSG, Sergio Ramos, whose departure from the club had been confirmed the day before, scored the opening goal in the 16th minute by heading in a cross from Vitinha. Kylian Mbappe, aiming to finish as Ligue 1’s top scorer for the fifth consecutive season, added a penalty to make it 2-0, dedicating the goal to Sergio Rico by holding up the injured goalkeeper’s number 16 jersey.
Sergio Rico, PSG’s backup goalkeeper, is currently in serious condition in a Seville hospital following a horse-riding accident last weekend. Mbappe emphasized the importance of paying tribute to Rico, stating, “There are more important things than football, and on the pitch we were already champions. We could have lost 22-0, and that would not have changed anything for us. We had to pay tribute to Sergio. I think we have all been affected by what is an extremely serious situation. We have been worried about that all week, and so we tried to pay tribute in the best possible way.”
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With his tally of 29 league goals this season, Mbappe finished two goals ahead of Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette in the race for the top scorer award.
Clermont fought back with Johan Gastien capitalizing on a mistake from Marco Verratti to score a goal. They then equalized just before halftime when Mehdi Zeffane netted from close range after Gianluigi Donnarumma spilled the ball. In the second half, Grejohn Kyei secured the winning goal for Clermont, turning in a cross with his knee. This victory allowed Clermont to finish the season in eighth place, marking a historic achievement for the team.
Following the game, PSG received the championship trophy. However, their season ended on a sour note with a total of seven league defeats, all suffered in 2023.
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